The Impossibility of You & Me
by MissJessWalker
Summary: After Elena Conant's mother dies, she is taken to live with a half-brother she's only recently discovered exists and his grandmother. Right away, Elena is thrown into the midst of her brother's tight-knit group of friends. But, as it turns out, they aren't exactly normal-and neither is Elena. Nick/OC pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction story based on L.J. Smith's The Secret Circle trilogy. I don't own the world or the characters. Also, this is not influenced in any way, shape, or form by any of the books after The Power. I don't read the ghostwritten ones. That said, I am taking liberty with the timeline to make it suit my purposes. In the books, the confrontation with Black John would have JUST happened. But I'm writing as if time has passed. Just go with it? ;) I hope you enjoy!**

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 **Chapter One**

Complete silence weighed on us as we drove through the inky dinky town of New Salem, Massachusetts. I didn't even know this town existed a year ago - now I was moving there. To live with a brother and grandmother I hadn't known I had. That my mother had kept secret for all seventeen, almost eighteen, years of my life. But I couldn't exactly be mad at her now, could I? No, all I wanted to do was cry because she was gone.

My emotions flipped between anger and sorrow more times than I could count. They'd been doing so the entire drive from Boston. Not like I could focus on much else considering my _brother_ wouldn't say more than two words to me. He just brooded in the driver's seat, only speaking when absolutely necessary and never once looking directly at me.

I already hated this. I hadn't even met this grandmother of mine yet, and I was already trying to work out a way to get the hell out of here.

After who knew how long, we turned onto a long stretch of road, a few houses scattered on each side. I'd counted no more than nine by the time we turned into a driveway.

Crowhaven Road. Pretty bare. Kind of depressing. I wanted to deny it, but it fit me perfectly right then. I still didn't want to be there, but my options were slim - stay here or run away. And I wasn't too keen on striking out on my own. Mom would have hated that. She'd hate that I was even considering it.

So for my dead mother's sake, I was going to give this place a go. Sliding a glance over at the guy slowly pulling the keys out of the ignition beside me, I knew I wasn't so sure how much of a chance _he'd_ be getting. But this place, fine. The grandmother inside, sure.

But brother dearest was already on my shit list. And I'd been in his presence for less than twenty-four hours. Someone should hand him an award.

"Come on," he said sharply, as if I was inconveniencing him somehow by waiting for him before heading inside. "Inside first. Your stuff after you meet Grandma." Wow. There you had it, folks. The longest attempt at a sentence he'd spoken to me so far.

I held back a sigh. "Okay."

We both exited the vehicle and headed toward the door, me following him. Unable to help myself, I took another glance around, then stopped.

Someone was staring at me. She wasn't super close, though that was more because none of the houses on this road crowded each other. We were at number nine and it had taken us a good chunk of time to drive down this way since turning. Somewhere between five to ten minutes. So the chick staring at me was actually at the neighboring house, number seven. Considering the distance, it was hard to make out her features but she was definitely tall, curvy, and had dark hair that seemed wild. She stood with her arms crossed, watching us walk inside, as if we were some spectacle.

I was trying to decide whether or not to mention her when a throat cleared in front of me. His head was turned to the side, not toward where the girl was standing but the other way. Clearly he intended to make it seem like he was side-eyeing me. Ridiculous. Did he really think I didn't catch on to the fact that his eyes avoided me?

The door to the house flew open before I could toss a barb at him, because he deserved one for acting jerkish. An old, plump woman stood inside, grinning. "Adam, dear! Come in, bring her in! This is so exciting!"

My first reaction to this lady who was an urge to laugh. Here Adam was, my half-brother I'd only found out about recently, being all moody and rude. And then there's this lady, who I was going to go out on a limb and guess was my grandmother, all peppy and cheerful.

Turning his side-eye to our grandmother, Adam began walking again, seemingly not caring whether or not I followed anymore. Lovely. When he moved, I was in full view of the woman, and she wasted no time in studying me, face full of happiness.

"Oh, you're beautiful!" she exclaimed. "Come inside, darling. We'll have some tea and cookies."

Already liking her better than Adam, I wasted no time following her instructions. Once inside, she closed the door behind me, then turned and wrapped me into a bear hug. For an old lady, she hugged _tight_. "We are so pleased to have you here. I'm your grandmother. Feel free to call me Grandma like Adam does." A quick squeeze before pulling back. "I know we've lost a lot of time, but I don't want any unpleasantness between us. You're already going through enough…" she trailed off, her smile drooping a bit before she perked up again. "Adam!" she called. "Bring some tea and cookies to the parlor, please! We're all going to sit down and have a nice chat."

Though he appeared none to thrilled about it, Adam followed orders, carrying a tray with three tea cups, a tea kettle, cream, sugar, and cookies into the room the lady - Grandma - had led me to. And he sat with us, sipping his beverage with a frown while Grandma chatted me up. We talked about a bunch of things, but they all seemed to insignificant. She asked about my interests, my friends. But she didn't ask much about anything substantial. No _how are you?_ or _what was your mother like?_ I knew my mother had been mine and Adam's father's dirty little secret, a one night stand forever ago while he was married to Adam's mother. He, Adrian, our father, had known about me. His last name was on my birth certificate. But he never cared about me, never spent any time with me, never showed any interest. His wife, Elizabeth, and their bouncing baby boy, Adam, were his whole world. No time left for us.

That was what I was told, at least. My mother's death hadn't been quick, and we'd known it was coming for some time. Around the end, she began confessing to things she felt I needed to know. Most of those things had to do with Adrian and these two family members that had always existed, all of us unaware of one another. Desperate to make sure I would end up somewhere safe and loving after she passed on, it was my mother who arranged my moving here to New Salem. My mother who spoke with Mrs. Franklin, Adam's grandmother but not really mine since she was on his mother's side. My mother who relayed to me the news that Mrs. Franklin was shocked but excited at another relative for her grandson running around this world, and that it would be no trouble for her to take me in. My mother who informed me that Mrs. Franklin insisted on me not thinking anything of which parent of Adam's she was the mother of, that the fact alone of Adam being my (half-)brother and her being his grandmother was enough to link us in a similar bond.

I'd thought the women were crazy, both my mother and Mrs. Franklin. My mother really contacted a stranger to take me in simply because she was related to my half-brother. Mrs. Franklin was welcoming me with open arms for the same reason. Who did that?

Hard to deny your dying mother when she asks you to go along with it, though. So I agreed. Not that it would have mattered. I was a minor, and I'd end up with some kind of guardian regardless. Crazy as the situation was, at least I didn't end up in foster care. Instead, I ended up here with Mrs. Franklin, my new grandmother, and Adam, the half-brother who was even less excited than I was. I hadn't thought it was possible, but it was clear on his face that he did not want me there. When Grandma insisted she wash out the tea set while Adam showed me to my room and I settled in, I didn't miss the way his lips pressed into a straight line. As if I was inconveniencing him yet again.

"I'll get my stuff," I told him, wanting nothing more than to get away from him if he was going to be that way. "Just tell me where I need to take it."

He shook his head, walking to the door. "I've got it."

I sighed. "Then I'll help."

He said nothing. We were pulling my bags - I only had a couple for now to hold me over until the boxes of my belongings arrived - out of his trunk when I heard a scoff behind us.

"Really, Adam?" an almost husky female voice asked. Spinning around, I saw it was the chick who'd been staring earlier. Her pitch black hair tumbled over her shoulders, her hands on her hips as she pursed her lips. Honey-colored eyes narrowed, she went on, "After your last slip up, I thought you'd be done with those ways for good. Apparently I was wrong."

Adam dropped my bag on the ground and it landed with a thump. If we'd been alone, I would have snarked something at him even though all my breakables still had yet to arrive. But this girl was here, and everything about her presence was accusing. I watched curiously as Adam glared at her.

"You have no clue what you're talking about, Faye." His voice was hard, even more severe than he'd been when speaking to me.

A smirk lifted the corner of her lips. "I know what it looks like, and last time I saw something like this, I was exactly right."

His glare narrowed, and I got the sense that he was holding back from stepping toward this girl - Faye. This Faye girl, whoever she was. Not a friend of his. Maybe just a neighbor? "You were wrong then and you're even more wrong this time. Now go away."

Faye sighed, lifting a hand to cover her mouth in the fakest yawn I'd ever seen in my life. "You can give me that violent look with that violent tone all you like, Adam. I know you're never going to act on it. And don't think you're intimidating me, either. I have to tell Cassie about this. Surely you know that."

This time, Adam did step forward, but I could tell from his stance that she was right - he wasn't going to do anything to her. So he wasn't the type of guy to hit a girl. Good. Finally, a redeeming quality about my new brother. "Don't tell Cassie a single thing!" he nearly yelled. If I hadn't been prepared for it based on his angry expression, I'd have flinched. Faye must have had the same expectation because she held still, as well. "I will talk to her soon enough. This is none of your business."

"Of course it's my business. Anything that affects the…" her eyes slid to me and I knew she was choosing a different word from what she was originally going to say, "...group is my business. Surely you understand." She shrugged like there was no way around it, which even I could tell was total bull.

"Faye-" Adam started.

Faye interrupted, "No. I've always known you were terrible, but you have everyone else fooled. Not me. And you're not fooling me now." Her eyes leveled on me. "Hope your little floozy is worth it, because I'm telling Cassie _all_ about this."

 _Floozy?_ I blinked for a second, then barked out something between a laugh and " _What?!_ " that turned into a series of coughs. I stood there choking on air as Faye stared at me with something akin to amusement in her eyes, paired with defiance. She truly thought I was Adam's… _floozy_. Dear lord. These thoughts were not helping make my coughing subside.

For the first time, Adam's eyes landed on me. Great, it took me choking to death. He watched me for a second before raising a hesitant hand, hovering it behind my back as if he was considering smacking it to help me breathe. Luckily, I began to regain my breath before he could do so.

"You okay?" he asked with something that almost seemed like concern. I'd have thought it _was_ concern if not for the fact that he made it crystal clear already he didn't want me here nor did he give two shits about me. He probably just didn't want me to die in his driveway. Grandma would hate it. And he'd have to explain it to Cassie - who I was assuming was his girlfriend. Faye was probably a friend of hers who wasn't fond of Adam. Like, at all. Like, to the point of near hatred. Interesting.

Letting out another cough, I said, "I'm fine."

Faye cleared her throat, her expression saying we'd proven a point. "Very caring, Adam." There was no hiding the accusation in her tone now.

With me breathing good and dandy again, Adam went back to doing his best to act like his eyes didn't register me. He focused on Faye. "She's not my floozy," he said, his voice sounding tired.

"Excuse me," I said, narrowing my eyes on him. "I'm not a floozy at all, thank you very much."

Faye chuckled, a raspy noise filling the tense air. "I doubt that."

I waited a second, for what, I didn't know. But after a moment, I shook my head. "Whatever. I'm going inside." And with that, I grabbed _both_ my own bags and began lugging them inside. Grandma could point me in the direction of my room.

"Wow, Adam," I heard Faye say behind me. "Way to defend her. So she's _not_ worth the trouble you're about to be in with Cassie."

Adam's sharp response started before she'd even finished the last word. "You're a bitch, Faye." And then to my complete and utter shock, his voice came up behind me. "Wait up, Elena. Let me help."

"Adam said a swear word!" Faye mocked, stopping both Adam and me from moving more than turning around to face her again. "Never thought I'd see the day. And apparently you do care. Or do you? It's not nice to toy with feelings, you know."

I rolled my eyes. "I've known you ten minutes and I can already tell you're not the person anyone wants advice from on how to be nice."

Adam, apparently having undergone a complete one-eighty, nodded at me. "You're right."

Not paying any attention to our exchange, Faye reminded, "So I'll just go on over to Cassie's house."

"No," Adam snapped, anger tinging the word, but he was clearly calmer now. "I'll call her over. I'll call everyone over. We'll all talk about it as a group. Can you handle waiting until they get here or are you feeling especially irritating today?"

"That depends."

He didn't ask what, just kept staring at her until she said, "On whether or not you plan on keeping _her_ around for this little meeting, of course." Her brow arched. "Surely she can be there seeing as it's partly about her."

"No," Adam said. "We can all talk without dragging her into it."

Faye's mouth shifted into a smile, but it was not what anyone would label friendly. "If she can spend this intimate time with you, then she can handle our… _circle_ of friends." The humor in her eyes danced, and I could not figure out why. Was she simply enjoying the taunting? Did she want to make it clear that I was an outsider to their group? While before it seemed like she and Adam were on a one way street to Enemyville, now they gave off the vibe of people familiar with one another, who put up with each other on a regular basis. Almost like friends, except they didn't particularly like one another. So she and Adam were likely within the same group of friends, which made sense if she was tight with Adam's girlfriend.

Adam sighed, clearly ready to be done with this conversation. "No, Faye."

"Yes, Adam."

They had some kind of staring contest for an entire minute, to the point where I was considering going back to my plan of dragging my stuff inside myself and seeking info from Grandma on where my room was. It was awkward. Finally, Adam sighed again, this time in defeat. "Fine."

Faye appeared pleased, and my eyes flew between them, uncertain exactly what was going on. So was I meeting their friends? Why did I feel like I was missing something?

Now I was the one done with this. "I'm going inside. It's cold out here." January in Massachusetts wasn't exactly known for its sunny skies, and while my coat did wonders, we'd been standing out here for too long.

Adam jumped back into gear, nodding and lifting the bag closest to him. "Of course. Let's go inside." He moved around me and grabbed my other bag, too, taking this one right from my fingers. Not a glance was spared for Faye when he said, "You're welcome inside in the meantime."

Then he led the way back inside. I took a page from his book and paid no attention to Faye as I trailed behind him. Since I heard the door shut after us, I assumed she'd taken the invitation. This was confirmed when Adam said, again without looking back at her, "Wait in the living room. I'm taking her and her bags up to her room and then calling everybody."

"Whatever. Just make sure you don't take too long. I know what you get up to when you're alone with-"

"Faye!" Adam barked. Surprisingly, she remained quiet after that reprimand.

I followed him up the stairs. In the hallway, we stopped at the first door on the right. There was a door directly across the hall, and then three others down the way. "This one's yours," Adam said, his tone somewhere in between the Adam I first met and the one who did a one-eighty. "The one across is mine, the one next to yours is the bathroom, the one next to mine is Grandma's, and the one at the end is a closet. There's extra blankets and stuff in there." Explanation over, he turned the knob and stepped into my new room.

Peeking around him, I saw that the room was a decent size. Not teeny tiny, but not huge either. A tad larger than the room at the apartment I used to share with Mom. But I refused to dwell on that, so I instead took notice of the design. It was light, whites and creams the main focus. There were a couple pieces of dark brown furniture, but other than that, the room was solidly bright.

"Used to be the guest room, but now it's yours," Adam told me, moving farther into the room to place my bags along the wall next to a door I assumed was the closet. He stood there, eyes roving everywhere but in my vicinity. "So yeah. Apparently I have some calls to make. You can join us if you want, but please don't feel forced." Not waiting for a response, he headed out of the room, sliding around me in the doorway and then disappearing into the door across the hall.

What was I supposed to do now? From what I could tell, Adam did not want me hanging out with his friends. Honestly, that made it tempting to do exactly that. But Faye wanted it, too. And I didn't want to do what she wanted any more than I wanted to do what my brother wanted. If I did join them, I didn't want to wait down there with Faye. I knew a shady person when I met one.

Still unsure, I decided to flop down on my bed and wait for Adam to leave his room. Then I'd ask him...something, and based on that answer, I'd either go downstairs with him or stay up here and play the avoiding game. Would all his friends be like Faye? Goodness, I hoped not.

A couple minutes later, I heard footsteps reach the top of the stairs. I tensed, wondering if it was Faye or someone else.

"Elena, dear," Grandma Franklin's voice reached me before she rounded the corner into my room. I sat up on the bed to face her. "I heard Adam's friends were coming over. You'll be joining them, won't you? They're delightful!"

"Um…" How was I supposed to reply to that?

Adam's door opened before I had to figure it out. "She's invited, Grandma, but we don't want to pressure her. She just got here. Maybe she wants to rest." I tried to detect whether he was saying that for his grandmother's sake or mine, but I couldn't tell. I thought I'd had him pegged based on his original behavior, but ever since we arrived, he'd been wavering between the original douche and an actually okay guy.

"What about you?" I asked.

His eyes widened in my general direction. "What?"

"What about you?" I repeated. "You traveled all day, too. Longer than me, even. Don't you just want to rest?"

"Well, yeah. But…" It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that he was avoiding saying something. Finally, he shrugged. "It'll be calm. We're only going to hang out and talk downstairs." And then, to my utter astonishment, he looked me in the eye. His blue-gray irises met mine - thanks, Dad - and I could tell he was sincere when he said, "It'd be great if you came down."

Now I was at a loss for words. It became abundantly clear why he'd kept his eyes away before: Adam was in turmoil. And I was realizing how selfish my thoughts had been. It had to be hard to find out that the father who died when you were a baby and you surely figured was a cool, honorable dude all your life slept around on your also deceased mother. It had to suck thinking about all the uncertainty it brought up - did his mom know? Would he have owned up to it and told her? Would he have entered my life and introduced us? There was so much we'd just never know. I was more caught in the sadness of losing my mother, but Adam had to have all the questions at the forefront of his mind.

Taking that out on me wasn't cool, but I could see where he was conflicted. Maybe he didn't have to be on my shit list after all. He could go on probation until I made a decision.

"It could be good for you to meet some of the local kids," Grandma said. Both she and Adam watched me, awaiting my response.

Pulling in a deep breath, I nodded. "Okay."

Grandma beamed. Adam's lips tipped up a smidge. "Come on, then," he said. We went back downstairs, Grandma not following, though she did tell us, "There's snacks in the kitchen if any of you kids get hungry!" as we walked away.

Back in the living room, I saw there were newcomers. Several. Dang, they got here fast. The moment I entered, they all stopped their quiet conversation and turned to face me. I held back an eyeroll. This was going to be awkward, I could already tell.

"Sit here," Adam said, gesturing to a comfy-looking chair. While I didn't appreciate being told what to do, I took the seat because I was completely out of my element. I didn't know any of these people, except Adam - and even him, I barely knew. Rocking the boat with an argument when I wanted to sit somewhere anyway wasn't on the list of things I thought were a good idea.

A girl with dark hair and furrowed eyebrows asked, "Adam? Is this for real?" She was sitting next to Faye, so I assumed they were friends.

"Depends on what you think it is, Deborah," Adam replied. "Just wait until everyone gets here so we don't have to go over this ten times, okay? I promise, Faye is being an idiot."

Faye gasped dramatically. "I beg your pardon."

"Give it up, Faye," rumbled a deep voice from the doorway. "We all know not to fall for your shit."

I'd been focusing on Faye's dismayed expression - because it was truly amusing - but after he finished speaking, I couldn't help but peek over and see who this guy was who seemed just as _not in the mood_ for Faye's crap as me.

He was rather large. Tall and muscular. Dressed in all black: black tee, jeans, jacket, boots. I'd be lying if I said it didn't look good on him. _Great_ , even. And that was with only a perusal up and down his body. I hadn't chanced a glance at his face yet.

Shifting my eyes up from where I'd been studying his broad chest, it became a sudden realization that I wasn't the only one staring.

His dark brown eyes were trained on me, meeting mine once I made it far enough up his face. I saw his face, the strong jaw, the nose that had a slight bump suggesting it'd been broken before. The lips… damn, those lips. I registered his mahogany hair waving on his forehead.

But what kept me captive was those eyes.

We held each other's gaze for what felt like forever but was probably no more than a minute. It likely would have been longer if someone hadn't crashed into his back, complaining, "Damn, man. If you're going to imitate a brick wall, can you do it somewhere not _right there_?"

With that, the connection was lost. He stepped into the room, moving to stand all the way on the other side from me, not apologizing to the guy who'd ran into him. A tinge of embarrassment trickled through my body. I did not want to check and see who'd noticed that little moment. Instead, I focused on the guy - or _guys_ , apparently - entering now that Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome wasn't blocking the way.

Seeing them was like doing a double-take. They were completely identical. Blonde hair, hazel eyes, open expressions. If I ended up becoming friends with this bunch, I'd have to take some time to find a defining feature to tell them apart. Or I'd have to no matter what, since they were Adam's friends and I'd rather not get them mixed up. That opened the door to pranks getting played on me, and I was so not down for that.

Adam appeared in front of me, having gone to the kitchen to gather those snacks Grandma mentioned. Didn't even notice he was gone, honestly. As he was setting it all out on the coffee table, which was slid a little farther from the couch so those twins could sit on the floor in front of it, two girls stepped through the doorway. One was brunette, maybe a tad on the shorter side but pretty close to average height, and her cheeks were lifted in a smile as she murmured to the girl next to her.

The other girl… she was the most majestic combination of sunlight and moonlight. Bright hair, porcelain skin - she was even dressed in a white blouse with light wash jeans. She scanned the room as the other girl spoke, surveying who was here. Her gaze landed on me, and though she seemed curious, her demeanor was friendly.

So maybe not all of Adam's friends were going to be jerks.

Looking back over at Adam, I saw him take in the newcomers and his face brightened. He walked over to the brunette, leaning down to whisper something in her ear and drop a kiss on her cheek. She blushed slightly before stepping away and finding a seat, eyeing me uncertainly as she did so. The friendly girl sat next to her.

"Looks like everyone's here," Adam said over the chatter filtering through the room. They all quieted, attention going to him, most alternating their eyes between my brother and me. "I was going to gather you all to talk about this soon, but _Faye_ ," her name was clearly a displeasure to his mouth, "forced my hand." He paused, taking a deep breath. "You've been wondering what's going on and where I've been and… well, this is obviously the answer." His hand waved in my direction.

One of the girls - there were seven, including Adam's girlfriend, Faye, and friendly chick, and then five guys including Adam - pursed her lips. "Please tell me you plan to explain." _Because you just answered nothing_ , her gaze said.

He nodded, running a hand over his face. He looked to me and took another breath. Before he continued, he moved closer to me, practically standing beside where I sat. This caused the curious expressions around the room to sharpen. "I had to go to Boston today to pick up Elena."

Dead silence.

Then, from the dark haired girl next to Faye - Deborah, I thought her name was - asked, "And that is Elena?" Based on her tone and expression, my name meant nothing to her. Obviously Adam hadn't told them a single thing about me before now. Great.

Adam's mouth opened to answer, but I refused to let him speak for me on something as simple as my name. These were his friends, he could hash out the details, but I could confirm, "Yes. I'm Elena."

Adam took this in stride, "Yeah. This is Elena."

"Okay," Deborah said slowly. "We've established her name is Elena. But _who is she_?" I got the feeling Deborah wasn't one to beat around the bush. Which meant Adam tip-toeing around the real info here was grating on her nerves.

"Deborah," the friendly girl said, warning in her tone. "Don't be rude." She smiled at me. "Hello, Elena. I'm Diana."

A small, enthusiastic girl spoke up from beside her. "I'm Laurel."

The skeptical chick who'd asked Adam to explain earlier was sitting on the floor by them and said, "I'm Melanie." She sounded nice, but her eyes were watchful, as if she was waiting for me to do or say something she disapproved of.

The twins on the floor spoke next, the first saying, "You can call me Chris," and the other going, "Because that's his name. Mine's Doug." Their eyes were wicked, and I could see the wheels turning in their heads. It'd probably be a good idea to find something defining about each right now. Like… the small scar near Doug's left eye. I checked Chris' face real quick and confirmed this was a slight difference between them. I'd have to spend more time with them to find more, things in their speech and mannerisms, but for now it was enough.

The next person was speaking, and I looked over to see he was a small guy, somewhat nervous but nice, "Hi, I'm Sean."

I nodded to him. "Hi, Sean." He seemed like the kind of dude who didn't have people going out of their way to be nice to him often. Therefore, I made it my new mission to do so when he was around. Unless he turned out to be horrid, he deserved some kindness.

Next was Faye. Her smile was full of malice. "Hello, _Elena_." The way she said it implied she didn't believe that was even my real name. I held back the urge to roll my eyes. "I'm Faye."

"Deborah," Deborah said, wasting no time for anything more.

A voluptuous chick next to Deborah gave me a small smile and wave. "I'm Suzan."

I waved back. So far, she and Sean and Diana struck me as the most deserving of pleasantries. Laurel wasn't bad, but she didn't seem quite convinced I wasn't here for a bad reason. She was more subtle in her observing than Melanie, but I got the same vibe from them both.

There were only two people left at that point - Adam's girlfriend and the hot guy I'd locked eyes with earlier. Since I wasn't eager to relive that moment with everyone's eyes on me now, I looked to Adam's girlfriend. Her lips tipped up in an uncertain smile. "My name is Cassie." Right. I remembered Faye holding her name over Adam's head earlier.

I was getting the same feeling from her as Melanie and Laurel, but seeing as she was Adam's girlfriend, I decided to give her a wave. "Hi."

And then I was left with no choice but to face the guy. I'd felt his eyes burning into me throughout all the introductions, and sure enough he was studying me when I glanced over. I waited for his deep voice to sound again, this time sharing his name. But...nothing.

After a few moments like this, Adam told me, "That's Nick. He's...difficult."

Deborah snorted. "Right. Yeah. Okay. Now can we get back to the point? _Who is she_?"

Adam rubbed a hand down his face. I was about to rip off the revelation bandaid for him, but then he spoke. "Elena is my sister."

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 **Thank you so much for reading! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Utter silence met Adam's announcement. All gazes flew between us, surveying our similarities. Once you knew to look, it became pretty clear that we were related. The most obvious was of course our eyes, both the same blue-gray color that often shone silver. The next was our hair, both auburn, though mine was a touch lighter. I'd definitely inherited the color from mine and Adam's father, though, since my mother was blonde.

I watched as they all took us in, shock making way for surprise on their faces. It was even more awkward than I'd anticipated, sitting there while everyone sized me up, compared me to Adam. Peeking his way, I saw that he was more calm about this than I was, appearing more concerned with what their reactions were going to be once this news sunk in.

Finally - _finally_ \- someone broke the silence. Melanie asked, mystified, "How?"

Faye had a ferocious smile on her face, clearly already thinking up ways to spin this to her advantage. "Oh, this is rich, Adam."

Though he'd opened his mouth to answer Melanie, Faye's comment had him turning toward her. "What?"

"You're such a dirty liar." She laughed. "Your parents are dead. There was no time for them to have another child after you, and if you were a twin, I am positive we'd know. You're faking this somehow to cover something up. You have to be."

Deborah scoffed. "Use your eyes, Faye. They're related."

"Yeah," Sean piped up. "She's a pretty version of Adam. _Very_ pretty." He smiled at me. I didn't smile back, unsure if I should encourage him. I wanted to be nice, but there were limits. Was he going to be creepy?

Melanie brought the conversation back on track. "Faye has a point that there wasn't time, and I highly doubt you're twins. But Deborah and Sean are right that they're clearly related." She paused, her brow furrowing in thought. "But _how_?"

I lifted a hand, placing my fist in front of my mouth. While I'd been willing to break the news about our sibling status, I was so not explaining the how.

Adam looked to me, nodding when he saw that I wasn't going to say a thing. He stood taller, back erect. He was taking responsibility for answering. Yeah, maybe he wasn't too bad. "My dad…" he trailed off for a second. " _Our_ dad. He took a trip to Boston at some point when my mom was pregnant with me, met Elena's mom, and then Elena was born several months later."

At that revelation, jaws literally dropped. Laurel and Suzan were like gaping fish. Melanie's eyes widened. Cassie paled. Diana gasped. The twins shifted, wicked expressions gone and uncertainty taking its place. Sean looked down at his hands in his lap. Faye's brows were raised, but she stayed blessedly quiet. Deborah was frowning. I refused to even peek Nick's way to gauge his reaction, but I could feel his eyes still on me.

"When is her birthday?" Melanie asked, back to piecing together this puzzle.

Adam looked to me. We hadn't had the birthday conversation yet. All I knew was that he was eighteen - a few months older than me. I answered, "February."

She winced. "So I'm guessing it was around the morning sickness portion of Adam's mom's pregnancy."

Neither I nor Adam responded to that. I didn't know about him, but I had no plans to weigh the decision making on our father's part. I knew all I needed to know - he knocked up my mother and then proceeded to not spare us a single thought. He abandoned us. I understood that he had a wife at home and another baby on the way, but that did not make him any less responsible for me. He made a baby, he was supposed to help. It would have been a sticky, difficult situation, but he gave no effort. He didn't care.

If that was where this conversation was headed - to analyzing our father's reasoning - I was out. Reaching over, I poked Adam's hand lightly to get his attention. Melanie and a few of the others were talking, speculating, but I tuned them out. Adam turned his gaze to me, leaning down. "Yeah?" he whispered.

"I've got to pee," I said, which was not a lie. I hadn't taken a potty break since before we got here.

Adam's expression showed that he knew there was more to it than that, but he didn't question it. "That's fine, we can keep going. Maybe by the time you get back we'll be back to the point." And there it was. He totally saw right through me. "You can use the downstairs bathroom. It's that way," he pointed to the hall leading to the kitchen, "on the right."

Eager to get out of here until this part of the talk was over, I hopped right out of my seat and booked it to the bathroom. It was small and warm and had no windows but felt a million times more free than that living room. I did my business, then took my time washing my hands, breathing slowly to keep calm. No way would I allow myself to freak out. Not here, not now. Maybe later, in my own room once I knew no one would come try to talk to me. When I was alone.

I'd been gone a couple of minutes. That was long enough to get back on track, right? I wanted to head back out there before someone came to see if I was okay, because that would be awkward. This entire situation was awkward enough by itself. Adding more on top of that was not necessary.

After taking a few more deep breaths, I went back to the living room. There seemed to be quiet arguing going on, and I tiptoed, hoping to catch some of their words.

"-hard time." That was Adam.

"She seemed just fine to me," Faye hissed.

Diana's placating tone broke in. "Faye, show some compassion. And Adam, calm down. She's sure to be back any minute and it can't be good for her to walk into this."

At the reminder that I was coming back, I knew they'd glance over at the doorway, so I resumed walking naturally as if I had caught none of their discussion. As I sat down, I asked, "What?"

"Nothing," Adam said immediately.

"Right," Faye said slowly. "Nothing." Her nothing obviously equated to something.

Again, Diana broke in. "It is lovely to meet you, Elena."

While her attempt at steering me away from the current topic was not subtle, I let her do it anyway. "You, too."

"So wait," one of the twins, Chris, said. "How did we not know about you before?"

"Yeah," his brother agreed. "If you've been living over in Boston all this time, why haven't you come visit? Didn't you want to get to know your brother?"

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant while in reality the weight of their judgement was pressing. "I only found out recently that I even have a brother."

Deborah sighed. "This is stupid. Why don't you just start from the beginning?"

Blowing out a breath, I glanced over at Adam. He was watching me. Our eyes met. He silently offered to tell the story. I silently portrayed my indecision. He waited patiently. Finally, I shifted in my seat and looked away. We were already having silent conversations. Such a sibling thing to do.

"So," I started, "whatever happened with our parents years ago. Then I was born, and… well, I my mom didn't tell me about any family on my father's side until recently."

Melanie's gaze centered on me warily. "That fills in exactly zero gaps."

"Yeah, well…" I trailed off.

"Maybe we should ask whatever we want to know," Suzan suggested.

Both Melanie and Deborah appeared pleased with this, but Deborah was the first to speak up. "Okay, let's do that. Where is your mother? I'm thinking she'll have more answers for us."

I opened my mouth, then shut it right away. I blinked. I'd almost offered to call her. As if she could be reached on the phone. My chest clenched with a pain that had been becoming all too familiar, frowning down at my hands in my lap.

"Deb," someone barked. I had an idea at who it was, but it wasn't important enough to lift my eyes. Not until I regained my control. Great first impression I was making, near tears at the mere mention of Mom.

I sensed someone moving toward me, and I felt entirely too vulnerable in that moment. I couldn't sit there and not see who was heading my way, even though I had a hunch.

A hunch which was confirmed when I lifted my gaze to see Nick standing in front of me. His eyes were boring into me, into my soul. Then he turned around and faced the rest of the group, arms crossed over his chest. He said nothing aloud, but his stance spoke volumes-he was being protective. Kind of like a human shield, as if those worked for whatever words could be thrown at me.

"What?" Deb asked, sounding more annoyed by the second. "It's a logical suggestion."

Adam's tone was cold as he said, "Why do you think she's here, Deb? Her mom is...gone."

I croaked something akin to a laugh, though there was exactly zero humor in it. "She's dead, Adam. _Dead_. No reason to tiptoe around it."

Instead of getting angry or any other multitude of emotions that would have been logical in response to my snap, Adam just nodded. "Okay, Elena." Damn him and his brotherly understanding. That hatred I was so sure about in the car was fading. Why did he have to act so darn nice all of a sudden?

"So she died," Melanie said slowly, working through her thoughts out loud. "But why is she here? Mrs. Franklin is from Adam's mom's side, right? I mean, obviously. Since you're both Conants and she's a Franklin. Are you here to meet and spend time with your brother? How long are you here for?"

And with that, the reminder that I truly had no place here in what was going to be my new home, I shut down. Locked my emotions away to maybe deal with later if I felt like going through them and the surefire pain that'd tag along. "I don't actually have any other family," I told her, my voice monotone. "It was just me and my mom. When she got sicker, and it became clear she wasn't going to make it, she told me about Adam and our father. I guess she also talked to Grandma Franklin at some point and arranged for me to come here instead of being put into foster care or something. Since things were kind of crazy, I didn't get to meet Adam until...well, now." Pausing, I pulled in a breath. It blew my mind how everything that had happened in the past couple of months could be boiled down to those few sentences. "And I live here. As of today."

A couple of moments passed as they all took this in, and then heads turned to Adam for confirmation. Not surprising, since they had met me no more than an hour ago. For all they knew, I could be a compulsive liar with a dramatic streak mixed with a solid dose of self-pity.

Adam nodded in agreement, though, because I was really telling the truth. The extremely depressing truth.

"So, Faye," the small girl named Laurel nearly sneered. "He has to be lying to cover something up? Did you have any real proof of anything, or were you only trying to stir up trouble again?"

Diana nodded. "Honestly, Faye. This ambush was terrible. We didn't need to pull them into a meeting now. Elena's still in mourning, for goodness' sake."

Cassie shadowed Diana with a nod. "And I'm sure they're both in shock that they even have a sibling."

While I was sure the ladies were aiming to make Faye feel chagrined, she instead appeared to be lost in thought. Plotting something else that would be full of fun for everyone, surely. Because this little meeting was so lovely. A slow smile began to creep across her face. "We actually need to chat." She looked between Cassie and Diana, indicating she was talking about just them and not the entire group.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Cassie said, eyeing Faye cautiously.

Faye's smile grew. "Oh, trust me, it's a marvelous idea."

Diana sighed. "I am not up for another arguement. Let's just go see what she wants." Moving to leave, she took a moment to walk in my direction. She eased around Nick, who was still acting as my human shield for whatever reason, and leaned down to give me a light hug. "I am so sorry about your mother, Elena. But it was great to meet you."

Since I was still stuck in my shell of no emotion, my tone was bland as I said, "You, too."

Cassie followed Diana, giving me a quick hug and kind words. Faye simply waved on her way out the door, calling, "See you soon, neighbor." Hopefully she was wrong and I would not see her soon. She was already my least favorite of Adam's friends.

"I guess the rest of us should head on out," Melanie said, rising to her feet. The rest of the group followed suit, and they left much in the ways of Diana and Cassie. I got several hugs and condolences, and they all seemed to very glad to meet me. It was kind of odd, considering the circumstances. Finally, the room was clear - mostly.

Nick still stood there, and Adam shifted his eyes between the two of us. "Should I give you two a minute?" He asked, apparently trying for humor, but it fell flat. Both Nick and I turned to look at him with unamused faces. Adam shrugged in a _what?_ gesture.

Nick blew out a heavy breath, his nostrils flaring. He gazed down at me, his dark eyes studying me intently. I had no idea what was happening, but I'd be damned if I could look away for even a single moment. There was something about him that was undeniable. That drew me in.

Suddenly, Nick's eyes widened the barest amount. Dropping his arms to his sides, he blinked once. "Bye," he said, and then he was moving fast out the door.

I sat in my seat, stunned. What had just happened? Glancing over at Adam, I tried to gauge his expression to see if he had a clue, but he appeared as confused as I felt. Neither of us were given the chance to say anything about it, though, because Grandma Franklin tittered into the room.

"Oh, dears!" She exclaimed. "Your friends left?"

Looking around at the vacated room, I answered slowly, "Yep."

She smiled at me, not catching on to my weak dose of sarcasm, which was probably for the best. This woman did not deserve me picking on her. "Alright, then I'll get dinner going. It's just a simple chicken noodle soup, so it won't take long at all. Adam, can you set the table, please? Elena, you can sit and relax until the food is ready. Don't you worry about a thing." And with that, she was off to the kitchen, the sound of pots clanging filling the air moments later.

Adam raised his brows at me. "Well, relax."

Rolling my eyes, I did as told, flopping back in my comfy chair in exaggerated relaxation.

"Perfect," he approved before heading to do as he'd been told.

Alone in the parlor, I had nothing to do really except twiddle my thumbs and think. I glanced around at the shabby but obviously cozy furniture occupying the snug room. Minutes before a dozen others had been here. People who I'd probably end up friends with by association. At least most of them seemed friendly. The twins appeared rambunctious, and Sean a wee bit eager, but overall, I didn't doubt being friends with them could work. If Faye stopped acting irritating. And Deborah stopped treating me like an inconvenience. And then there was Nick.

Dark eyes came to the forefront of my mind, demanding my attention. What was it about him?

"Elena, darling!" Grandma called from the kitchen, breaking off my thoughts. "The food is ready. Come eat!"

Grateful for the interruption, because I had zero answers about him and trying to come up with some would surely prove frustrating, I joined Grandma and Adam. We sat around the small table, quietly eating and making casual conversation. General pleasantries for the most part, though Grandma also asked more pointed questions my way in a clear effort to get to know me. I answered them without any issues. She wasn't digging deep or anything, so I saw no reason to put up a fuss. The woman was taking in a seventeen year old girl she barely knew. It was the most I could do to answer her queries about what I liked to do and eat and whatever else she questioned me about.

She gave me her devoted attention, too, obviously committing my answers to memory. She wasn't asking just to ask - she was genuinely interested in me.

I caught Adam giving me his attention, as well, and guessed he was doing the same. That baffled me. He had no obligation to learn these things or care. Lots of siblings didn't give a crap. Why would Adam, my half-brother I'd only just met, already be showing such interest?

My conclusion that Adam was actually a good person simply dealing with a difficult realization gained strength.

After we finished eating, I offered to help with the dishes, but Grandma assured me that she and Adam had it covered. Again, she sent me away to relax. I wondered on my way up the stairs to my room how long it'd take her to stop treating me like a piece of glass. I appreciated her concern, but I'd be okay. Washing a few dishes wouldn't kill me.

Alone with nothing but my thoughts once again, I decided now was the time to sort through those emotions I boxed away earlier. I walked over to my bags and unzipped them, preparing to make myself useful while fighting tears.

My mother was dead. Dead, dead, dead, dead, _dead_.

This was my home now. I would never go back to the apartment my mother and I shared in Boston. No, I was here, with Adam and Grandma and all of Adam's friends until I finished school and went away to college.

Sniffling, I recalled my idea of running away. Ridiculous. That plan had changed so quick once I got here. Once I actually met Grandma and Adam stopped acting like a douche. Once I met a group of teenagers I'd maybe, possibly, probably end up hanging out with, too.

And even though I tried to deny it to myself, once I stared into Nick's eyes.

It was stupid. I'd met the guy like two hours ago. Three, tops. And now here I was, letting him and his attractiveness influence my decisions. Pathetic.

But it was more than that, on both accounts. More than Nick went into my choice to stick around here - a huge portion of that was the people living in this house with me. And there was more to the factor of Nick than just his attractiveness. I couldn't pinpoint _what_ , though.

Unlike earlier, I welcomed this frustration. I huffed out a couple of breaths as I allowed the weak tinge of anger to trickle through my body, pushing away the lingering ache thoughts of my mother left. It'd creep back up later, for sure, but I'd take whatever I could in the meantime.

After I finished putting my stuff away, I figured I might as well go to bed. I'd been denying it whenever Grandma (or Adam) suggested the travel was wearing on me, but in reality, they were right. I needed to be unconscious so badly. I didn't peek at the clock, but it was dark outside, so I figured going to bed for the night as opposed to a nap was acceptable. I went into the bathroom and got ready, brushing my teeth and then taking a quick shower because I'd caught a whiff of my armpits and decided that task could not wait until morning.

I didn't pass Adam or Grandma in the hallway, and I didn't hear either of them shuffling around, so I thought I should leave them be. I didn't know whether they were the "goodnight" type of people. If they were, I'd learn some other time. Tonight, I needed my head to hit a pillow - a fact proven true when I fell asleep the moment I rested my head.

I was awoken by footsteps sometime later. A slight murmuring accompanied the sound. My eyes snapped open, because there was obviously someone in my room. But before I could catch a glimpse of the intruder, a sheet fell over my face and I was being wrapped in it. The motions happened so fast, I didn't have time to give much of a fight. Before I knew it, I was wrapped tight and being lifted. All I could do was focus on breathing as the unknown people - since there was definitely more than one pair of hands involved in encasing me in that sheet, though it seemed only one person carried me now - carted me off wherever they wanted to take me.

In hindsight, I probably should have shouted. Called for help. For Grandma or Adam. But I was still groggy, and being woken up like I had, it was an effort to keep my breaths anywhere near resembling steady.

So I let the people take me away while I did my best to take in air.

Finally, after what felt like forever but was probably no more than ten minutes, the swaying stopped. The person set me on my feet. I was turned and positioned specifically, a pair of slender hands on my shoulders to guide me. Whoever it was pushed me forward a few steps, firmly grasping me when I needed to stop. I had no idea what was going on, but I hoped whoever was leading me wasn't taking me to the edge of a cliff or something.

Faint shuffling could be heard behind me, and then the sheet was removed and my face and body were free. I could see.

And what I saw was startling.

Faye, directly in front of me.

Holding a knife.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! (If there is anyone reading this, that is. I'm not sure. I think I'm probably the only one right now, which is okay. I love this story.) I hope you enjoyed! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much to those of you who wrote reviews! I'm loving this story and I'd write it regardless of whether or not I got reviews, but they always make this so much more fun. I love knowing I'm not the only one enjoying! So truly, thank you so much! Sorry for the wait between chapters. My mind tends to be all over the place, and I've been wrapping up a semester of college, so sitting down to finish this chapter has taken some time. But now it's written and I'm posting! :)**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own rights to The Secret Circle. I do own pretty copies of the trilogy, though. I heart them.**

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

All that kept me from panicking was the memory of several sets of hands getting me there. Definitely at least three helped wrap me in that sheet. And someone carried me there-maybe they helped with the sheet or maybe they stood aside during that part. So there had to be at least two or three other people there. At least one of them would hopefully be less crazy than Faye.

"What-" I began while moving to look around me.

A pair of gentle hands firmly grasped my shoulders from behind, stopping my movement. Faye shook her head. "Don't move unless you're told. And don't speak unless you're asked a question."

I was about to ignore her and ask anyway, because what the everloving fuck was going on? But then Diana stepped around me, moving to join Faye. Adam's girlfriend, Cassie, followed her. The three stood in a line, Faye brandishing the knife. Confusion mixed with reassurance rushed through me. Why were Diana and Cassie with Faye? Surely they'd make sure Faye didn't murder me or anything, so that was good, but...what was happening?

Studying them as they stood there, I saw they were all wearing light shifts. How in the world they were comfortable like that, because even though there wasn't snow on the ground-and, glancing down and seeing the sand under my feet, we were on the beach-it was still freaking cold. Diana's and Cassie's were white while Faye's was black. They all had a slit cut all the way to their hip on one side. Diana had something slid up her toned thigh. A garter? Okay then. I didn't catch a close look, but it seemed to be green lined with blue. She also wore something on her head. Like, a diadem with a crescent moon, horns pointing upward. She still appeared to be the kind Diana I'd met earlier, but now she had a serious expression and an official air about her. All three of the girls gave the impression of... _power_.

This. Was. So. Weird.

As I stared at them, now unsure of what to even say, Cassie instructed softly, "Turn around."

Turning my back on Faye with that knife was certainly not something I wanted to do, but I turned anyway. It felt natural to trust Diana. And Cassie was Adam's girlfriend. Hopefully giving her a vote of confidence here was the right thing to do.

I turned and again, what I saw made me pause. The rest of the people who'd been in Grandma Franklin's living room earlier were there, Adam included. The twins, Melanie, Laurel, even Deborah. I eyed Adam for a second. He seemed to be doing the same for me, watching for my reaction. But he didn't look like anything bad was about to happen. He maybe appeared a little nervous, but I guessed it had to do with the fact that this whole situation was off the wall and there was a huge probability I would freak out about it. I didn't know him well but he was my brother, so some of my caution faded.

My eyes moved to Nick next. Our gazes connected, and there went the rest of my caution. The idea that anything bad could happen with him there, that he'd take part in something meant to harm me, felt impossible.

I'd met him only a few hours ago. This was stupid. But I couldn't deny the serenity simply looking at him gave me.

Someone bumped my shoulder walking past me and I broke my stare from Nick to see Faye, Diana, and Cassie joining the rest of the group-inside a circle. I hadn't noticed before, caught up in how crazy this was...and then seeing Nick, but there was a large circle in the sand. A small portion of it remained open in the northeast corner by my feet. Candles of all different colors and sizes were set inside and outside the line, stuck directly in the sand, wax melting onto it and everything.

I stood just outside the threshold of the circle.

Confusion filled me again. This was getting weirder by the minute, and even Nick's presence couldn't help it.

"Who challenges her?" Diana spoke up, and I snapped my attention back to her. She stood tall and detached, which added to the anxiety mounting within me.

"I do," Faye said from nearby. The next I knew, there was a dagger at my throat-the same one she'd been holding to begin with. I stood absolutely still, feeling the sharp edge pressing slightly into the hollow. A normal person probably would have been focused on Faye at that point, keeping an eye on her to gauge what the hell she might do next, but my gaze was locked on Diana. This whole thing was crazy, but Diana was calm, cool, and collected. Sure, maybe she was batshit crazy along with Faye, and the rest of this group, but for some reason I sensed that everything would be fine. I just needed to stay calm. And Diana seemed to be the one with the authority right now, so I was going to draw that composure from watching her.

Even when Faye leaned closer, her breath fanning my cheek, I kept my eyes to Diana. "I challenge you," Faye said to my cheek. "If there is any fear in your heart, it would be better for you to throw yourself forward on this dagger than to continue." There was a pause filled with the oddly loud sound of my breathing before Faye added, "So what is it, Elena? _Is_ there fear in your heart? Answer carefully."

Alright, this was pissing me off now. Of course there was fear in my heart-I'd been kidnapped in the middle of the night by a group of near strangers I'd met less than twenty-four hours earlier. I wasn't stupid. Only an idiot wouldn't be freaked out right now.

I knew I couldn't say that, though. If I told them that, I'd have to stab myself or whatever it was that Faye said. And _that_ was even more stupid than not being scared. So I did what I'd been doing the entire time and stared at Diana. Her gaze was unwavering, solid and serious. But...underneath that there was also a twinkle of encouragement. I latched onto that and shifted my gaze to Cassie. She wasn't even trying to shield her supportive expression. A hint of worry was paired with it, but for the most part she was clearly on my side right now-and that indicated she wanted no fear to be in my heart. Next, I looked over at Adam. My half-brother. The guy I'd been so sure was a grade-A asshole but was now learning that he was actually pretty damn decent. Maybe he'd even shape up to be a good brother. His expression had more worry than Cassie's had, but he also had a faint smile turning his lips upward. He was cautious of my take on all this, but other than that, he saw this situation as fine. As something I should embrace. Interesting.

Last, because I couldn't help myself, I glanced over at Nick. His expression was nowhere near the open book the others' had been. It took a few seconds of watching him to pick up on anything from him, and when I did it was just an impression. But that impression alone was the final ounce of strength I needed to push the fear out of my heart.

Nick would keep me safe. I wasn't sure how I knew or what it was in his expression exactly that gave me that impression, but I knew it. With everything in me, I was sure I would be okay. I had nothing to fear right now.

With the encouragement of Diana, Cassie, Adam, and Nick, I finally met Faye's daring eyes. "There is no fear in my heart."

Respect flashed in Faye's gaze, her smile easing its bite. She gave a tiny nod. "Then step inside."

Um. What? _With the knife right at my throat_ … I started to overthink it, but forced myself to stop. Everything would be fine. With that thought, I took a step forward, into the open circle drawn in the sand. The blade followed my movement, yielding so I only felt a small trickle of wetness on my throat as Faye stepped back.

Diana grabbed the dagger from Faye's hand and stepped around me to where the circle was broken. She dug the knife into the sand, drawing the rest in to remove the gap. Now the circle was complete. The moment felt heavy, like something had just been sealed. Inside this circle was much different from outside. The world within could not be touched.

"Come to the center," Diana said, drawing my attention back to what was happening.

I did as I was told, back to pulling my serenity from Diana. She was clearly in charge.

"Turn around," she ordered next and I followed her order yet again. Hopefully someone would actually start explaining soon because my curiosity was killing me. Patience only went so far.

I faced Diana directly now. Her hands landed lightly on my shoulders steadying me, then she spoke. "You've been challenged and you've passed the tests." Her expression remained solemn, but her eyes had warmed. "Now are you willing to swear?"

All of this answering off the wall questions with blind trust was grating on my nerves, but I ignored my annoyance and nodded. The sooner I got through this, the sooner someone could inform me what the ever-loving heck was going on.

"Will you swear to be loyal to the Circle? Never to harm anyone who stands inside it? Will you protect and defend those who do, even if it costs you your life?"

Dear lord. This sounded serious. Protecting and defending with my life? I'd only met these people yesterday. But...if I was being asked these questions now, did that mean the rest of them had been asked them before? Did they swear these same things? If so, then this wasn't so bad. Still super serious, but at least I wasn't the only one devoted. I'd have a whole group of friends ready to have my back, always. With how sad I'd been over Mom's death, I hadn't spent much time dwelling on all the time I was spending alone, but it'd be nice to have that. A group of friends. This was all moving so fast, but I could catch up.

Again, the thought ran across my mind- _everything will be fine_.

"Yes," I said, my voice strong and clear. I was kind of impressed with myself. My inner turmoil was off the charts, but no way would anyone else be able to tell based off my tone.

"Will you swear never to reveal the secrets you will learn, except to a proper person, within a properly prepared Circle like the one we stand in now? Will you swear to keep these secrets from all outsiders, friends and enemies, even if it costs you your life?"

Another mention of costing my life. Damn. But I did what I'd been doing this whole time and pushed my concern for that out of the way. Diana had mentioned learning secrets. That had to mean I'd get to find out what was up. "Yes," I repeated, still firm.

"By the ocean, by the moon, by your own blood, will you so swear?"

"I will," I said with a nod.

Diana's eyes sparkled. "Say 'I will so swear.'"

"I will so swear."

"She has been challenged and tested, and she has been sworn," Diana said, shifting away from me and turning to speak to the others in the circle. "And now, since all of us in the Circle agree, I call on the Powers to look at her."

Diana raised the dagger I'd forgotten was even in her hand above her head, blade pointed to the sky. Next she pointed it toward the east, then the ocean, then toward the western cliff, and then the north. Lastly, she pointed it at me. I stood a little straighter, feeling her words flow down my spine as she spoke: 

_Earth and water, fire and air,_

 _See your daughter standing there._

 _By dark of moon and light of sun,_

 _As I will, let it be done._

 _By challenge, trial, and sacred vow,_

 _Let her join the Circle now._

 _Flesh and sinew, blood and bone,_

 _Elena now becomes-_

"Wait," Melanie said, interrupting Diana. "I'm sorry. I know breaking into the ritual is terrible, but I'm not so sure about this."

Diana frowned, turning to her friend. "Melanie!"

Melanie lifted her hands defensively. "Think about it, Diana! We only met her several hours ago. We don't know her at all. Who knows if we'll get along? And she might not even have the ability to use the Powers. She is half outsider, remember."

Adam shook his head. "That's not fair, Melanie. And she can definitely harness the Powers. It'll take some work to learn, but she can do it."

Suzan tilted her head in thought. "How do you know?" she asked. She didn't seem skeptical, just curious.

His mouth quirked. "I spent a while in the car with her. Not hard to feel, especially when she's so upset."

"And were you in that room earlier?" Cassie added, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly. "You can't tell me you didn't feel it."

Melanie blinked. "It's always a lot when we're all gathered in a room like that."

Faye rolled her eyes. "Then you weren't paying enough attention. Trust me, this girl can use the Powers."

Now it was Melanie's turn to roll her eyes. "Right, because you're the person I want to trust."

"Shut up," a deep, stern voice demanded. Instantly, everyone quieted and turned to look at where the words had come from.

Nick, of course.

Until he spoke up, I'd been standing in a daze, confusion filling my mind. Powers? What did that even mean? And why did Melanie sound so negative toward me-half outsider? None of this had made any sense to begin with, but now things had spiraled beyond my control. Or, more accurately, Diana's control. With everyone arguing and throwing around terms that made zero sense whatsoever to me, I was so lost.

Nick's demand had broke me from it, though, and I faced him. His eyes were flickering across the group as a whole, but stopped on me often. They even seemed to linger on my form more than the others'. Pleasure ran down my spine, and I hurried to brush the emotion away. It was irrational, but even if it wasn't now was so not the time.

"She's in. She's sworn, the ritual was so close to finished it might as well be done. Too late to doubt, Melanie. Don't be a bitch."

Melanie's jaw dropped. "Nick!"

His jaw clenched. "You are not stupid. Don't act like it just because you're scared."

A blush tinted her cheeks, and she seemed to be speechless.

Good thing, too, because Nick was not done speaking. "She can use the Powers. We'll teach her. She'll be fine. She may be half outsider, but that doesn't mean she's any less than one of us. She's Adam's sister." His glare turned to my brother. "Way to stick up for your sister, asswipe."

Adam's eyes narrowed. "I did speak up! Just because I'm not telling people off like a douche doesn't mean I wasn't sticking up for her."

Nick ignored him, scoffing. "Finish the damn ritual, Diana. She deserves it. Though I will admit the timing is shitty."

And with that, he crossed his arms over his chest and focused on me, waiting for Diana to do as he said and...complete the ritual. Because that was what this was. A ritual. Was I being inducted into some sort of cult? Crap. Too late to back out now.

 _Not that you really want to_ , a little voice in the back of my head told me and, darn it, the voice was right.

Apparently eager to get through this before someone else spoke up to object, Diana once again lifted to dagger to the sky and pointed it at all the cardinal points of the compass. Then it landed in my direction and I again stood straighter as her words struck me: 

_Earth and water, fire and air,_

 _See your daughter standing there._

 _By dark of moon and light of sun,_

 _As I will, let it be done._

 _By challenge, trial, and sacred vow,_

 _Let her join the Circle now._

 _Flesh and sinew, blood and bone,_

 _Elena now becomes our own._

Finally, Diana smiled. "There you go. You're in." She reached behind her and unclasped a silver necklace from around her neck. A crescent moon hung from the chain, like the one on Diana's diadem. It was beautiful. "This is a token," Diana said as she settled the chain around my neck, "of your membership in the Circle."

Then she pulled me in for a hug. It didn't seem to be out of left field-this was another part of the _ritual_ we were performing. I wasn't as anxious about it now, however. Diana's hug was kind. Like watching her throughout this had kept me calm, the hug helped me remain at ease. After a short moment, she stepped back. "The Powers have accepted her. I've accepted her. Now each of you has to."

And thus started a long chain of hugs. Some of which (from Cassie, Laurel, Suzan, and Adam) were kind and supportive like Diana's, while others (from Melanie and the twins) were cautious. The twins were friendly, but they seemed on edge about this situation. Sean's hug was nice, surprisingly. I'd been worried he'd lean toward inappropriate, but it wasn't at all. Yeah, I'd have to make sure to be nice to this guy. Deborah's hug was a little stronger than necessary but I didn't complain a peep. No way would I give her the satisfaction. Faye's was just plain uncomfortable. Something about the girl had me wanting to step away from her. Luckily, it didn't last too long.

The last hug, of course, came from Nick. I wasn't sure what I'd been expecting but what I got was definitely not it.

His hug was...magnificent. Fierce and protective. Warm. I felt so safe. My single complaint was that it ended too soon, but there was no way I could _say_ that. So when he let me go, I stepped back and inhaled a deep breath-and caught his scent. I couldn't fully describe it no matter how hard I tried, but it was wonderful. Woodsy and musky and kind of soapy...which sounded odd, but it was a divine combination mixed with something that I couldn't describe as anything but _Nick_.

I didn't know how long I stood there mulling over my hug with Nick, but it was Diana's voice that brought me back to reality. "Okay, the initiation ritual is over," she said. "Normally we'd have a party or something after, but this is so short notice and we know you're still mourning your mother, Elena…" Her words trailed off for a moment before picking back up. "But we can hang out and have a regular meeting. There is some food and drinks, and we'll chat. More of a low key gathering than a party."

"But first," Cassie said, "let's formally dispel the Circle."

Diana nodded, and then leaned down to pick up a handful of sand and pour it over the line drawn in the beach. Just like that, the separation of the outside world and the reality within the Circle was broken. Almost all of the others followed Diana's lead, using handfuls of sand to erase the Circle. Nick and I were the only ones not helping. Instead, we stared at one another.

We did this for an entire minute until I realized what I was doing. This was crazy. Why did I keep getting drawn into those eyes? To that guy in general? It was the weirdest sensation, thought I couldn't say it was entirely unpleasant. Just strange.

Shaking off the feeling, I turned to face Diana. "Okay, I think now would be a great time to tell me what the hell is going on."

With the Circle gone from the sand, Diana straightened. She nodded. "Yes. You are one of us now. It's time to tell you what we are."

 _What we are?_ That did not sound good. But I really did need answers. "Yeah. That. Tell me about that."

Diana laughed, Lauren joining in. While they were reduced to giggles, Faye smirked. "Alright, Elena. Sit down. Time to tell you some _wicked_ stories."

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked it :)**


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